Russian visa is needed to enter and to leave Russia. Travelers without a passport or an entry visa may be subject to large fines or immediate deportation by route of entry, at the traveler's expense. The nationals of former CIS Republics, except for Turkmenistan and Georgia, may enter the Russian Federation with their national passports.

A Russian visa is a special document attached to the passport that gives one a permit to stay on the territory of the Russian Federation during a period of time specified in the visa.

There are several types of Russian visas. Choosing the type of a visa to apply for, one needs to take into account the purpose of his or her visit, the length of stay and the number of entries the visa allows. The most common types of Russian visas are: 1)Tourist Visa; 2)Business Visa; 3)Visitor's Visa; 4) Student Visa; 5)Transit Visa.

To apply for a Russian visa one needs to submit a number of documents to a Russian consulate. Necessary documents are a passport, 1 passport-size photo, a visa application form, and the invitation letter from Russia. There might be some additional requirements if one applies for business or student visas. To process a visa, the consulate will charge a certain visa processing fee depending on the type of the visa and the speed of processing.